Vanity case



Oct. 18, 1932. F R, JOHNSON 1,883,793

VANITY CASE Filed Oct. 14. 1931 IWI/671 for 'il'z Il. Johnson 3 71155 orieg may Patented Oct. 18, '1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VANITY CASE Application led October 14, 1981. Serial No. 568,698.

This invention relates to vanity cases and consists in the novel construction, combination and relation of parts described and illustrated in the accompanying specmcatlon and drawing and particularly pointed out 1n the appended claims. 0

Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views o f a vanity casein accordance w1th my 1nvent1on, the case being shown closed 1n Fig. 1 and open in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, the outside cover being partlally broken away, and

F lgs. 4 and 5 are cross sectionson the lines 4-4 and 5 5, respectively of Fig.. 1.

My vanity case consists of a pair of complemental casing forming members 10 and 11 which are hinged together as at 12 to define a relatively shallow box or contalner. Each member is provided with an annular flange 10', 11 which when the members 10 and 11 are closed abut each other continuously about the case and said flanges are provided with oppositely disposed mterengageable locking elements 13 and 14, res ectively, by means of which the casing mem ers may be releasably locked together. 0

The locking element 13 is fixed, presenting interiorly of the flange 10 aconcavity or locking recess in which the hor1zontally projecting hook portion 14 of the catch 14 1s adapted to engage.

The catch 14 is disposed inwardly of the flange 11 and extends vertically above the upper edge of said flange. This catch 1s yieldingly mounted upon the flange 11 so as to move inwardly when pressed by the thumb and release the hook 14 from the concavity of the locking element 13.

Such yieldable mounting may be a s1mple blade spring 15 fixed at one end, as by the rivet 16 to the flange 11 interiorly thereof. For convenience of manufacture, and as here shown, the catch 14 may be formed integrally with said spring.

In order to enable the catch to be actuated by thumb pressure, I provide a push element 17. This projects horizontally outward beyond the flange 11 through a slot therein and may be either fixed to `or integral with the sprin 15.

Beyon the catch 14 the spring extends as a bowed portion 18 the purpose of which is to yielding] engage and assist in frictionally retaining t e loose-powder holding unit in position within the member 11.

Such holder is preferably formed as a unit separate from the casing forming mem- Y bers 10 and 11 but dimensioned to fit snugly 6o therein. Such fit is a press lit, assisted by the retaining action of the bowed end 18 of the blade spring 15.

Structurally, such holder consists of a container member, indicated generally at 19 and 65 a cover member, indicated generally at 21, hinged thereto as at 22, such hinge 22 being at one end of the compact rather than at the side, as in the case of the hinge 12.

The container member 19 of the holder is 70 depressed, as shown, so that when filled with loose powder and closed by the cover 21, such cover will lie in a plane not higher than the upper edge of the framing flange 11 of the casing member 11 within which such unit 75 rests.

Extending continuously around such depression is a generally horizontally disposed flange or border 20. This flange terminates in a downwardly bent bearing flange 20 spaced from the side wall of the depressed container 19 and adapted to fit snugly against the inner surface of the flange 11 of the casing member 11.

The flange 20 is cut away opposite the bowed end 18 of the blade spring 15 so that said spring may bear directly against the side wall of the depressed container.

Similarly, the horizontal flange 20 may be cut away, as at 202 to permit the catch 14 90 to project upwardly therethrough for engagement with the locking element 13.

Like the container 19, the cover member 21 of the holder unit is also formed with a slight depression (see Figs. 4 and 5). Such 95 cover fits snugly within the depressed portion of the container member and is continuously flanged, as indicated at 21, to frictionally engage the flange 20 of the container member. Such flange 21 affords a relatively wo shallow receptacle in the upper face of the cover 21 for the accommodation of some article of personal use.

Preferably at that edge opposite the hinge 22, the cover flange 21 is provided with an upwardly and backwardly bent thumb operated locking element 26 adapted releasably to engage the rounded upper edge 23 of a locking detent 23 which is fixed as at 24 to the bottom of the depressed container portion 19, such bottom being recessed as best shown in Fig. 5 to dispose said detent substantially flush therewith.

The detent 23 is angled as appears in Figs. 2 and 5 to present the horizontally extending anchoring portion which is anchored as at 24 and the vertically extending locking portion which terminates in the rounded locking edge 23. Such vertically extending portion is spring-tensioned by being passed over the center portion of a bowed spring 27. The ends of said spring bear against the inner face of the flange 20', and the horizontal fiange 20 of the container 19 being vertically slotted as at 28 to permit said rounded edge 23 of the detent to project upwardly therethrough.

vIt will thus be seen that I have provided a vanity case which is at once simple of construction, manufacture, and assembly and convenient of use.

The casing forming members 10 and 11 may be easily and cheaply produced as a unit and the covered powder holder 19-21 similarly produced as a unit capable of convenient assembly within the casing forming members.

By extending the spring 15 which tensions the catch 14 as a gripping element 18 for the holder unit 19-21, I avoid the necessity of having an absolutely close friction fit of said unit in the casing, such spring retaining the holder against accidental dislodgment from the casing.

The construction of the detent 28 and the method of tensioning the same is also simple and convenient, providing for the reliable and positive engagement ofthe depressible thumb-operated locking catch 26.

Various modifications in constructions and assembly may obviously be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to se- -cure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vanity case comprising a pair of complementally fianged casing formlng members hinged together to define when closed a boxlike receptacle, coacting locking means for said members including a pressure-actuated catch, a blade spring carrying said catch and fastened at one end to the inner face of the flange of one of said members and formed at its free end as a bowed friction element, and a powder holding unit lodged in one of said casing members and retained by the bowed end of said spring against accidental displacement from said casing member.

2. A vanity case as claimed in claim 1 wherein the powder holding unit consists of a depressed container portion having a vertically disposed bearing flange adapted to bear against the fiange of one of said casing forming members, and is further provided with a hinged cover adapted for releasable locking engagement with said depressed container member.

3. A vanity case as claimed in claim 1 wherein the powder holding unit consists of a depressed container portion having a horizontally extending border flange terminating in a vertically disposed bearing fiange adapted to bear against the flange of one of said casing forming members and is further provided with a hinged cover adapted for releasable locking engagement with said depressed container member.

4. A vanity case as claimed in claim 1 wherein the releasable locking connection between the depressed container portion and the cover therefor consists of an angled detent presenting a relatively horizontal portion anchored to the bottom surface of said depressed container portion and a vertically extending portion extending through the border flange of said depressed container portion and adapted for engagement with a catch carried by the cover for said container portion.

5. In a vanity case, in combination with a pair vof hinged 'casing forming members which when vclosed define a box-like casing, a powder holding unit removably assembled in one of said casing forming members and itself provided with a hinged cover, said unit when closed extending to a height no greater than the height of the casing member within which it is assembled, a lock for said casing members, a releasable lock independent of said first named lock for the cover for said powder holding unit, and a spring for said first named lock having frictional engagement with the side wall of said powder holding unit whereby to assist in retaining said unit within the casing forming member in which it is lodged.

6. A vanity case, comprising a pair of complemental flanged casing forming members hinged together to form when closed a boxlike receptable, coacting locking means for said members including a pressure actuated catch, a spring fastened to the flange of one of said members and carrying said catch, and a powder-holding unit hinged to said spring carrying member independently of the hinge which hinges said pair of members together and adapted to close into and be frictionally retained within said spring carrying member by the engagement of said spring at the side of said unit.

7. A vanity case as claimed in claim 6, wherein the powder holding unit is hinged to swing about an axis which is transverse to the axis about which the pair of casing forming members swing 8. A vanity case comprising a pair of comlemental flanged casing-forming members inged together to form when closed a boxlike receptacle, a powder-holding unit hinged to one of said members independently of the hinge which hinges said pair of members together and adapted to close into the member to which it is hinged and an inwardly pro1 jecting spring extending along one of the flanges'of said casing-forming member into which the powder-holding unit is adapted to close, said spring projecting slightly into the path of closmg movement of the owder holding unit into said member where to be compressed against said flange by t e adjacent side wall of said unit as said unit closes down into said member and frictionally retain said unit within said member.

9. A vanity case comprising a pair of complemental flanged casing forming members hinged together to define when closed a boxlike rece tacle. a powder-holding unit hinged to one opsaid members independently of the hinge which hinges said pair of members together and having a depressed container portion provided with a horizontally extending border flange terminating in a vertically extending bearing flange adapted to bear against the flange of one of said casing forming members, a hinged cover for said depressed container portion, a releasable locking connection between said hinged cover and said depressed container portion including an angled detent presenting a relatively horizontal portion anchored to the bottom surface of said depressed container portion and a vertically extending portion extending through the border flange of said depressed container portion, a catch carried by said hinged cover and adapted for engagement with said vertically extending portion of the detenta, and a bowed spring interposed between said vertically extending portion of the detent and the adjacent wall of said depressed container portion, the free ends of said bowed spring bearing against said vertically disposed bearing flange of said depressed container portion.

l0. A vanity case, comprising a pair of complemental flanged casing forming members hinged together to define when closed a. boxlike receptacle, a releasable lock for said members, a powder-holding unit comprising a depressed container portion having a slotted border flange and a hinged cover, said unit hinged to one of said casing forming members independently of the hinge which hinges said pair of members together and adapted when closed to fit within the member to which it is hinged, and a releasable lock for said hinged cover independent of the lock for said pair of 

